Commission Decision of 14 November 2007 drawing up the list of regions and areas eligible for financing under the Cross-border Cooperation Component of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for the purpose of cross-border cooperation between Member States and beneficiary countries for the period 2007 to 2013 (2007/766/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006 of 17 July 2006 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)^f1,

Having regard to Commission Regulation (EC) No 718/2007 of 12 June 2007 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006^f2, and in particular Article 88(1) thereof,

Whereas:

Pursuant to Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1085/2006, the IPA Cross-border Cooperation component may support cross-border cooperation between beneficiary countries and Member States. In that event, assistance pursuant to the IPA Cross-border cooperation component shall cover the regions on both sides of the respective border or borders, either terrestrial or maritime.

Pursuant to Article 88(1) of Regulation (EC) No 718/2007, for the purpose of cross-border cooperation between Member States and beneficiary countries, the eligible areas for financing shall be the NUTS level 3 regions or, in the absence of NUTS classification, equivalent areas, along land borders between the Community and the beneficiary countries and along maritime borders between the Community and the beneficiary countries separated, as a general rule, by a maximum of 150 kilometres, taking into account potential adjustment needed to ensure the coherence and continuity of the cooperation action.

Article 88(1) of Regulation (EC) No 718/2007 provides that, immediately after its entry into force, the Commission should adopt the list of the eligible regions in the Community and in the beneficiary countries, which shall be valid until 31 December 2013,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: